Workers say onboarding is often more painful than a bad date

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Dive Brief:

For 80% of the respondents in new research by ServiceNow, the onboarding process was an "important moment at work" — yet 1 in 3 would prefer to go on an awkward first date rather than attend onboarding or orientation for a new job.

About 80% of workers experienced some issues when starting a new job. One-third reported they received no necessary training, while 28% were unsure of their responsibilities and goals. Around a quarter of respondents reported they received no clear onboarding, while roughly the same amount admitted to IT issues. Nearly 20% believed they were not fully onboarded after three months on the job.

As for what new hires want on day one, 58% ask for a walk-through of key processes or want a buddy they can turn to for questions. Some reported having a truly bad experience; 1 in 10 new hires reported their company forgot it was their first day on the job entirely.

Dive Insight:

Onboarding today has to be more than the basic employee orientation of the past. Workers are looking for more than just a day of filling out forms and setting up their work stations; they want to be welcomed into the fold, shown how important they are and paired with a coworker that can mentor them from day one and beyond. Increasingly, onboarding needs to set the tone for the kind of performance expected of workers in the long-run, too. While this is no easy lift for HR, new technologies have emerged to simplify onboarding and improve the user experience. It's also key to do it right. When the onboarding experience is not positive, research shows new hires are twice as likely to quit the job than those who have a good onboarding experience.

To boost engagement, business must help workers find job satisfaction in the tasks they perform as well as the company’s overall mission. Employees rate development and meaningful work as top drivers of ownership and engagement. The best learning programs — and onboarding certainly counts as a learning experience — personalize the process for each individual employee.